If it makes you happy: Engaging in kind acts increases positive affect in socially anxious individuals.

Abstract

Social anxiety is associated with low positive affect (PA), a factor that can significantly affect psychological well-being and adaptive functioning. Despite suggestions that individuals with high levels of social anxiety would benefit from PA enhancement, the feasibility of doing so remains an unanswered question. Accordingly, in the current study, individuals with high levels of social anxiety (N = 142) were randomly assigned to conditions designed to enhance PA (Kind Acts), reduce negative affect (NA; Behavioral Experiments), or a neutral control (Activity Monitoring). All participants engaged in the required activities for 4 weeks and completed prepost questionnaires measuring mood and social goals, as well as weekly email ratings of mood, anxiety, and social activities. Both the prepost and weekly mood ratings revealed that participants who engaged in kind acts displayed significant increases in PA that were sustained over the 4 weeks of the study. No significant changes in PA were observed in the other conditions. The increase in hedonic functioning was not due to differential compliance, frequency of social activities, or an indirect effect of NA reduction. In addition, participants who engaged in kind acts displayed an increase in relationship satisfaction and a decrease in social avoidance goals, whereas no significant changes in these variables were observed in the other conditions. This study is the first to demonstrate that positive affect can be increased in individuals with high levels of social anxiety and that PA enhancement strategies may result in wider social benefits. The role of PA in producing those benefits requires further study.

Cognitions as mediators in the relationship between self-compassion and affect

“…For example, kindness toward oneself and others has been shown to increase positive affect and enhance resources for life satisfaction (Fredrickson et al, 2008). Engaging in kind acts toward others has been shown to increase positive affect and improve relationship satisfaction in socially anxious people (Alden & Trew, 2013). The present findings suggest that positive affect and kind behavior toward others may be potential mediators in the relationship between self-compassion and life satisfaction, but further study is necessary.…”

The physiology of (dis)honesty: does it impact health?

“…Changes in these physiological markers can directly impact health. For example, when we engage in small acts of honesty or virtue, our positive emotions surge [17] which can serve to down-regulate disorders of hyperarousal such as anxiety [18]. Such acts can also lead directly to health benefits such as lower blood pressure and increased longevity [19,20,21 ,22 ].…”

Everyday happiness: Gifting and eating as everyday activities that influence general positive affect and discrete positive emotions

“…Layous et al (2012) showed that performing acts of kindness towards others led to increased wellbeing and also increased quality of peer relationships, while Weinstein and Ryan (2010) showed that when people volitionally help others, they experience enhanced wellbeing. Alden and Trew (2013) showed that these effects held even for socially anxious people, such that Positive Affect was increased in people with social anxiety when they undertook kind acts towards other people.…”